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I purchased my 2000
Chrysler 300M
on August 25, 1999 from
Russ Carroll at
Dayton Andrews Chrysler/Plymouth/Jeep.
It is dark garnet red pearl coat with camel/tan leather interior. This
car is hands down the best car I've owned! I love everything about it!
It has great looks, fantastic handling, terrific ride, fast acceleration,
nice interior and decent gas mileage (I am getting about 24MPG on any
decent length trip).
I have put 3000 miles
on my Chrysler 300M
as of November 20,1999. I continue to be impressed. My commute to work
is now just 10 miles so I don't put near as many miles and I enjoy any
chance I get to go on a road trip.
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Vehicle Type:
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front-engine,
front wheel drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
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Base Price:
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$29,295
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Engine Type:
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SOHC 24-valve
3.5-liter V-6
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Power(SAE net):
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253 bhp @ 6400
rpm
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Transmission:
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4-speed auto
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Wheelbase:
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113.0 in
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Length:
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197.8 in
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Curb Weight:
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3550 lb
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EPA fuel economy,
city driving:
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18 mpg
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I decided about a
year ago to start looking for a replacement for my 1988 Isuzu Spacecab
LS 4X4. I put 130,000+ miles on this vehicle with few problems. In February
of 1999, I began to take a hard look at the
Chrysler 300M
after being named
Motor Trend's
1999 Car of the Year and
Car & Driver's 10 Best.
The 300M has a
3.5L High Output 24-valve V6 that outputs 253 horsepower @ 6400 rpm
and 255 pound-feet of torque @ 3950 rpm. The
300M's size, performance,
handling and great price put this car at the top of it's class.
I was impressed with
the plush leather interior of this car. The passenger compartment is
large, roomy and can seat 5 comfortably. This is a solid second generation
cab forward design with excellent visibility in the front and rear seats.
The only knocks on the interior are the fake accent wood and the lack
of 300M badges.
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Some may
question the
300M's
right to the Chrysler 300 letter car heritage, but the
300M
is a luxurious,
powerful sedan with exceptional handling (something the older
letter cars could never claim). |
The
300M moves
with a 7.7-second run to 60 mph (only the 300J was faster),
a quarter-mile run of 15.9 seconds at 89.2 mph and a top end
around 140 MPH.
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The automatic transmission
shifts quickly and cleanly with the shift from second to third being
exceptionally nice. The
Chrysler 300M
also has AutoStick for more control of the shifting points. I
find the automatic shifting points to be well chosen and you can easily
control the amount of downshifting with the throttle.
I use the AutoStick
on very curvy roads or when I want a quick burst of power. If you downshift
from 4th to 2nd at 55MPH, you hit the sweet spot of the torque band
and you can smoothly blast to 90MPH quickly before shifting to
3rd.
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Motor Trend's
1999 Car of the Year
 Car
& Driver's 10 Best -1999 & 2000
I opted for the
Performance Handling Group package which includes stiffer suspension
and steering, beefier vented 4-wheel anti-lock brakes, 16-inch special
Michelin XGTV4 P225/60VR16 all-season performance radial tires, chrome
wheels, and does not have the 118MPH electronic governor found on the
base model. The Performance Handling Group package gives a significant
increase in handling and braking for a small amount of money. I have
tested the top end, steering and brakes as much as I care to in such
a new vehicle and the car has never complained once. I am not close
to touching the limits of this vehicle despite putting the vehicle through
it's paces.
Road Test
When I had about
800 miles on Chrysler
300M, I took it out on the curviest, out of the way county road
I could find. I found one that had some elevation change as well (which
is hard to find in central Florida). I ran through the S's quickly the
first time and after running to the other end, I decided it deserved
a second pass. I then drove up and back, increasing speed when appropriate.
There is little front end plow or body roll during heavy cornering or
braking. There is no heavy torque steer that I have noticed in
other front wheel drive vehicles I have driven. My
300M performed
flawlessly and repeatedly brought a smile to my face.
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